Another problem is that the White House is lying.

I never noticed it before, but he has a strip of fake grass on the ledge too.

Hello.

I live in France now so we have Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve.

It baffles me. At the table for seven hours, then you've to stay up even later organising for the morning, then when the morning comes you're so shattered after five hours' sleep you're barely present.

I interviewed to work on it a year ago and was astonished at what they've built. It's an extraordinary piece of work. (Didn't get the job, don't really mind, the narrative systems aren't well developed and I wasn't enthusiastic about moving to Manchester, but still, what a game!)

He came back over with a handful of chocolate mini-eggs, gave us a couple each, and wished us a Happy New Year.

Then he waved us on.

They left us sitting for what was probably only a minute but felt like a lot longer. One fella came over, checked our passports. (Seeing we were Irish helped, I think.) Asked us a couple of questions. Friendly, but didn't clear us to go, told us to wait while he went back to his command post... /

We stopped at a checkpoint. Hezbollah. Young fellas with AKs. We were nervous - the war was over, but the last western hostage had only been taken 7 years earlier. /

Hezbollah-controlled territory. We knew the drill - stop at all checkpoints, don't move until you're cleared. Could be Hezbollah, Lebanese Army, Syrian Army, Druze Militia, police, whoever, just don't go 'til you're told you can go. /

In 1999, me and a mate holidayed in Beirut. Had a ball. On Good Friday, in the main square in Bsharri, in the mountains, birthplace of Khalil Gibran, we watched Menonites hang and burn an effigy of Judas.

Bekaa Valley was open, so on the Sunday we decided to go see the Roman ruins at Baalbek. /

Okay, addendum.

In fairness, Shaârghot deliver such a big show, such an absolute SPECTACLE, that they deserve to be playing to bigger audiences in bigger rooms.

Here, have some. If you like Rammstein, I reckon you'll like this.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggTK...

Go. To. Smaller. Shows.

If you go to smaller shows now, in fifteen years you'll be able to post your videos of a tiny stick figure standing in front of a giant screen, 200 yards away in a massive football stadium, and you'll remember seeing them up close.

Message ends. /

I know with some of ye I'm preaching to the choir (the pit?) but for the price of one Metallica ticket, I can get to eight shows just like this.

The smaller shows are the lifeblood of the scene. You don't get the gigantic headliners without the smaller venues. /

After Shaârghot last night, the 16-year-old got to buy a CD and have the lead singer, still in full costume and makeup, sign it, and mark her forehead with black body-paint, and tell him she loved the show.

This is community, people.

And it's so AFFORDABLE! /

At one point Poun, their screamer, came over, crouched down, looked her in the eyes, and unleashed an almighty scream. He was thrilled with himself, and she got the experience of a lifetime. She was PART OF IT. /

She had the time of her life.

And the band were thrilled to see her. Arno, their growler, even brought it up in his patter. (She wasn't the only kid in the room, there were a couple of others at the other end of the stage.) /

She's never had that reaction at a Really Big Gig.

So this week Black Bomb A played our local city. 300-capacity venue, €15 a ticket. I took the youngest to see them again. We went up the front, off to the side, and basically sat her on the side of the stage. /